Friday, 8th of February

We are at Seawinds Rv park, on Baffin Bay, off the gulf coast, of Texas.  One pic shows the actual park, beside it is a community park with a lovely beach , and a very long fishing pier.  Trees and shrubs are in bloom wherever you look.  The big tree is a Hongkong orchid, which was only planted 5 years ago!!  The close up is the blooms from that tree.  The shrub is a cape honeysuckle .  Habiscus of all colours—a treat for the eyes.  There’s many activities at this park to keep us out of trouble.  Pickle ball, softball, shuffle board, line dancing, some of the many.  Then there’s the pot lucks, , BBQ, and Saturday morning Texas breakfast.  Great clubhouse, so thankfully we can get out of our tiny camper.  A couple of drawbacks—the wifi is terrible!,  and the nearest town with big stores, is 22 miles away.  So you make the trip count!!

January 24th, Aransas Pass

Finally headed out of the hill country into very flat farming land, heading to the coast.  Plowed fields went on forever, but one farmer is doubly lucky—he had an oil well on his land!  Stopped at a lovely RV park for overnight, grapefruit trees, just loaded with yummy fruit.  Free in the clubhouse!   I think this flower pic is a bottle brush plant. Then we headed for Aransas Pass, crossed on the ferry to Port Aransas.  This is the main shipping channel into the port, couldn’t build a bridge as it would take up too much room, so they use the ferries.  Often we see dolphins playing as we cross over.  Then you are on Mustang Island—one of our favourite places.  Walked the beach!  Found this little critter!  Not sure what it is but definitely a fish of some sort.  Spent the night on the beach, something I always wanted to do, but didn’t want to get the 5th wheel full of sand.  So this was perfect!  Thought I would go to sleep with the waves gently crashing, but sounded more like truck traffic on a busy highway.  All is well

January 17th-still hanging around Fredericksburg Texas

Cooler weather than we would like but when the sun shines it’s lovely.  Trees lose their leaves here too, ( Not just up north,)but many are all dressed up with mistletoe balls!    This is a typical bridge on a rural road—so you can plainly see why it would flood in a big rain storm—there’s only about 6” from the road to the water level, and not many guard rails!!  Don’t want any swerves when driving over the river!-or you might be in it!   Visited Lindyn Johnson’s state park where we volunteered for 3 seasons. It’s a living history farm, to show  life as it was in 1915, when LBJ was a boy.  The old log building was built in 1869 by a German family, the Sauers.  They arrived with 4 children, and when they left there were 12 kids!  So he added on stone structures to the log home, but first he would have built the ‘tank house’.  Water from the windmill, flows into the tank on top, then down into the stone building below.  Pretty ingenious!  The farm was sold to the Beckmann’s in 1900, and they made lots of money from cotton crops,-the price of  cotton was high during the war- so they were able to build the Victorian house in 1915.  Inside the kitchen I spent most of my time  in front of the cook stove- loving every minute.  On the table is show and tell of what happens to the milk when there is no refrigeration, going from fresh, to clabbered (or yogurt as we know it), then curds, which after cooking slightly, is made into cottage cheese, dried cheese, and finally a hard cheese.  They can grow gardens here all year long—still carrots, broccoli, cabbage, onions.   It was great to be able  to run out to the garden for produce for dinner.  Dinner was served at noon, supper, the evening meal, and lunch was sonething you took to school  or the field. Lots of good memories here-I could write a book!!

January in Mason Texas

Such a neat old town!!  Founded in the 1850’s, it has retained its rich heritage.  Built around the town square, with the courthouse in the middle, is the main little shopping area. No McDonalds/Wendy’s here!!  The jail, the small tall building, is still being used.  Old barn buildings still in use, although not sure about the tractors in front!!  We are staying with friends, camping beside there home.  We wake up to the roosters, letting know morning has arrived. The Odeon theatre, is still in operation—since 1929, making it the oldest continuest running theatre in Texas.  A town that is locked in time!!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR. -from Texas

Wishing you  a great and healthy2019!   We are staying with a friend near Sonewall Texas, at her hill top home.    360 view of the valleys, lakes and hills around us.  Dawna and Ralph have left us now, and are heading to their park in Florida .   Neil has bought himself a man-toy, so has been out learning to fly it.  He’s doing very well-no crashes!!   —just maybe scaring the deer.   Oh, by the way, made a slight error in my last blog of 100 years!!  The battle of the Alamo was in 1836, not 1936!

December 27th. In San Antonio

The Alamo and the Riverwalk are a must when you visit San Antonio!,  so off we went to join 30 million other people doing the same thing!!  The Alamo is very special to the Texans-a testament to courage—where a blood was shed!  Davey  Crockett and Jim Bowie (famous for his knives), lost their lives here.  We used guided information tapes, so we learned a lot of history.  Then we went to the IMAX to see the movie, pretty violent!  The Riverwalk walk was next, tons of people, but neat to see.  Waited around to see the lights there, then off home, but stopped first in Johnson City to see their lights.  Amazing-every tree branch was covered-right to the end of each little branch.  Great day, but we were all very tired

Big Bend National Park. December 21st-22nd

Oh, Big Bend!!  What a beautiful place.  This is our 3rd visit to Big Bend, and it never seizes to amaze us.  Hiked up Boquillas Canyon, right along the Rio Grande River!  Hot! And sunny!  Then on to the hot spring, there was a resort here in the 1930’s, not much left now, but the springs still pump out hot water, they say around 104 degrees.  Finally sun setting on the mountains on the Mexico side. Great end to a perfect day!